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U.S. home re-sales dip but best winter in 5 years

March 21, 2012

U.S. home re-sales dip but best winter in 5 years

U.S. sales of previously occupied home dipped last month but the sales pace for the winter was the best in five years.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that home sales fell 0.9 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.59 million. That’s down from a revised 4.63 million sold in January – the highest level since May 2010.

The last three months have been the best for winter sales in five years. A mild winter and a stronger job market have helped boost sales ahead of the all-important spring buying season.

Read More on Komo News…

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More seniors use reverse mortgages to raise cash

March 20, 2012

More seniors use reverse mortgages to raise cash

Finding themselves financially strapped, more seniors at an earlier age are trying to get reverse mortgages on their homes in order to survive, according to a new report.

The study says the percentage of people aged 62 to 64 applying for reverse mortgages has increased 15 percent since 1999.

The reason for the dramatic upswing among “younger” seniors is simple, the report concludes: They need the money.

Read More on MSNBC.com…

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Warren Buffett is betting on housing

March 5, 2012

Warren Buffett is betting on housing

The U.S. housing market disappointed Warren Buffett last year, but he hasn’t given up hope…

… During a recent appearance on CNBC, Buffett said he would buy up millions of U.S. homes if it were possible.

New data seemed to support Buffett’s contention. The National Association of Realtors reported that the number of people buying used homes in January rose to a 21-month high.

Read Story on MSNBC.com…

With housing prices and mortgage rates so low now is an excellent time to buy! Check out our Homeownership Simplified section a for information & tips on buying a house in Washington and our handy calculators to figure out potential mortgages, closing costs, and more!

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Scrimping and saving for a piece of the American dream

February 27, 2012

Scrimping and saving for a piece of the American dream

Maybe from the ashes of the Great Recession, a new architecture for the middle class can rise for all of us, one that is slimmed down, but also more sustainable, and built to last…

… How many times can you see flashes of happy families in big houses behind white picket fences in the movies, or more recently, paycheck-to-paycheck families in half-million-dollar homes they somehow got loans for and hope to flip for a profit, before starting to believe that that is exactly how life should be? The American dream is so cheerily unrealistic, a film-studio back-lot illusion, one that we dutifully play into and invest years of earnings to make real. Thinking big is at the core of who we are in America. But when misfortune strikes, that illusion can vanish in an instant…

Read Story on The Seattle Times…

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Rising sales point to better year for housing

February 24, 2012

Rising sales point to better year for housing

The housing market is flashing signs of health ahead of the spring-buying season.

Sales of previously occupied homes are at their highest level since May 2010. More first-time buyers are making purchases. And the supply of homes fell last month to its lowest point in nearly seven years, which could push home prices higher.

Sales have now risen nearly 13 percent over the past six months. While they are still well below the 6 million that economists equate with a healthy market, the gains have coincided with other changes in the market that suggest more sales are coming.

“The trend is clearly upward,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.

Read More on The Seattle Times…

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